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Email Jennifer Chien
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Richard Holeton
Really? So Even with Internet Use?
It is interesting to note the wide varieties of responses from the students who log in the most hours on the Internet. For a couple of them, writing has become more of a challenge since they have learned Netspeak. Another student, however, responded adamantly against Netspeak, in spite of his reported usage of instant messaging services for 7 or more hours each day. He justifies his disdain for Netspeak by saying that, for those people who can type reasonably consistently, shortening words and phrases are useless because they really don’t save enough time to warrant the use of shorthand. Those who cannot type fast enough to keep up with a conversation, he adds, should find another medium of communication, such as the telephone, until their typing improves.
Through our study of Stanford students, we have drawn the conclusion that, although younger children have begun to show signs that they are confusing Netspeak and academic writing, further education and maturity leads to a better grasp of English and the experience necessary to acquire more sophisticated writing skills. Randall's statement, that people automatically switch subconsciously and accurately between various types of writing, has been confirmed by our research.